Santiago, Chile for Foodies

If you have just purchased airline tickets to Santiago, now is the perfect time to prepare for your trip. If you haven’t got around to booking yet, price check flights with airlines such as Lan Chile, Delta Airlines, Tam Airlines and Iberia. Most travellers love to read up on the must-see tourist attractions in the city. However, one thing they forget to do is read up on the local dishes to try.

The food in Chile is varied, just like the climate which ranges from the eternal spring like weather in the north and everlasting winter in the south. However, it is thanks to its climate that Chile is a rather self-sufficient country and has a wide range of fruit, vegetables, seafood and meat to try.

Here are some of the typical dishes you should try while in Chile.

Pebre is a Chilean sauce which is made of coriander, chopped onion, olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and sometimes ground or pureed chillies. It is usually served with bread as a complimentary snack before your meal. Locals love to put it on meat, potatoes and rice.

Choripán is a chorizo served in crusty bread usually eaten as an appetizer at barbecues or asados.

Lomo a lo pobre is steak and fries topped with fried egg and onions.

Cazuela is either a leg of chicken or piece of meat such as beef, a potato, a slice of pumpkin, green beans, carrots and celery served in boiling stock.

Pastel de choclo is a Chilean dish which is made of fresh ground corn and basil.

Churrasco is a thin beefsteak sandwich served with avocado, tomato and mayo.

Pernil is a leg of pork with potatoes and Chilean salad (tomatoes and onions).

Finding a good Chilean restaurant in Santiago is relatively easy. Here are just a few suggestions.

9 thoughts on “Santiago, Chile for Foodies”

You forgot street food wich is everywhere in Santiago. Completos (hot dogs with tomato and avocado) or sopaipillas a pumpkin fried bread that you can eat with pebre or another hot sauce, etc etc!! SOOO GOOOD!!

I miss pebre! (You reminded me a friend gave me a recipe for it I want to try.) I would add to your list the awesome lomo/lomito/ave sandwiches loaded with avocado and mayo! I spent over a year in Santiago in 2009-10 and greatly enjoyed the city and the food. I wrote about it in my blog for anyone planning to go (here is link to the Santiago writeup http://wp.me/pjCKk-gT ). Restaurants like El Mardoqueo, Cuero Vaca, Tiramisu and Nolita are among those on top of my food list!